We've found the biggest iPhone 17 Pro clone at MWC-here are its main flaws.

BARCELONA - Amid the buzz of this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC), a lookalike handset styled to resemble Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro has been turning heads on the show floor - not for its innovation, but for the controversy it has sparked among attendees.

MWC, the annual gathering that draws the world’s biggest mobile and consumer tech brands to Barcelona, is once again dominated by smartphone launches and prototypes. While new flagship devices such as the Xiaomi 17 Ultra have attracted attention for their camera ambitions, another handset has stood out for very different reasons: a curious iPhone 17 Pro “copy” spotted during a walk through the exhibition halls.

A suspicious iPhone 17 Pro lookalike spotted at MWC

Phone clones are a familiar sight at major trade shows, and this year the device drawing criticism is from BlackView. At first glance, its styling could mislead some passers-by: the rear camera module and orange finish closely echo the visual cues associated with the iPhone 17 Pro, a model that has been widely sought after for months.

However, a closer look quickly reveals the imitation. Even without specialist knowledge, the differences become apparent - and they are even harder to ignore once the handset’s specifications are considered.

Familiar design, but the display falls well short

Where Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro is known for a Super Retina XDR OLED panel, this BlackView device reportedly uses a far more modest screen. The result is described as dimmer, less fluid in motion, lower in resolution and built on a less advanced display technology. It also features a noticeably chunky notch, undermining the premium look it appears to be chasing.

Weak performance compared with Apple’s A19 Pro-powered flagship

Performance is another point of separation. The iPhone 17 Pro is associated with Apple’s A19 Pro chip, designed in-house, whereas the BlackView lookalike relies on a processor from an unidentified brand paired with 4GB of RAM. In practice, that combination translates into sluggish responsiveness and an overall experience that feels slow.

The handset is said to include a 5,000 mAh battery, but that capacity comes with a trade-off: it lacks the thin, refined profile that has become part of Apple’s design identity.

Camera claims do not match the iPhone 17 Pro’s reputation

Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro has built its profile around advanced photography, including a Pro Fusion 48-megapixel camera system and sophisticated computational processing. By contrast, the BlackView device on display at MWC is portrayed as falling well behind, offering none of the imaging performance associated with Apple’s flagship.

In short, while the styling may briefly convince at a distance, the underlying hardware appears to tell a different story - leaving BlackView’s iPhone-inspired handset struggling to win over the very crowd it is trying to impress.